Friday, August 29, 2014

Destroying Angel by Alanna Knight


Destroying Angel by Alanna Knight
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Autumn 1897. Rose McQuinn's stubborn refusal to give up her job as "Lady Detective, Discretion Guaranteed", has cost her the love of her ambitious fiancé, Jack Macmerry. And now it seems that she is to lose her elusive deerhound, Thane, as well. His rightful owner is Hubert, a Royal photographer, who lost him while walking on Arthur's Seat three years earlier."

For a woman to have an "occupation" outside the home was not the norm. I worked for and with two women doctors (one a PhD, one a MD) who were born early in the 1900s. They had to give up much for their very notable careers. Imagine what strength it took Rose to commit to her career. How can a "man" of her time tolerate such behavior? To get a glimpse into the time is wonderful. And if there is a mystery involved, more's the better!

As a dog lover, I can well understand Rose feeling worse about the lose of Thane than the loss of Jack. Dogs love unconditionally. Men don't. And Thane is such a grand dog and companion.

"Hubert has a hidden agenda concerning her role as a crime investigator. As the family's tragic history unfolds, dark secrets are revealed...and a series of suspicious deaths."

This is where the book gets really interesting...the mystery. It's as twisty as you want a good mystery to be; with characters you want to follow.

Of course I did not read this in order! Did I feel I lost anything by jumping in with Book 5 in the series? No. Ms. Knight has a good book that stand well alone. That's my favorite kind of author. One who doesn't need to tack a teaser at the end of a book to get you to buy the next edition.

The narration by Hilary Neville is as good as you want!

View all my reviews

No comments: